I wrote this for one of my education classes and decided to share it. It is not all about rescue but a lot of it is. I can make a difference by teaching my students that they can do anything that they put their minds to. Not only will I teach them about literature, but I will also teach them about life. Life is fragile. Life is hard. Life is worth living. Life is going to throw curve balls at you. Life is not going to be easy. A person has to understand how precious life is before they can truly succeed at anything. My eyes were opened to the true meaning of life through rescuing animals. I have saved many cats and dogs, but one dog changed my life. Lucky taught me about life and how thankful people should be that they have someone to love them and care for them. I saved him from a whole life of neglect searching for food, water, and shelter outside of our local bank. I know that many people’s hearts would hurt when they looked at him, but they did not care enough to do anything about his condition. I was sick of hearing that I could not change the world, sick of hearing that he was not worth my time, and most of all sick of hearing that I could not make a difference. As I bent down to pick Lucky’s broken-hearted soul off of the steaming concrete, a man came up to me and thanked me for my work. He told me that it takes a special soul to do what I was doing. That guy from the express lube oil change brought tears to my eyes that day because there was one person out there who appreciated my work and who believed in me. As a teacher, I am going to be there to encourage my students to excel in school and in their lives. There are always going to be people out there who put you down, who tell you that you cannot do something, who tell you that you cannot make a difference, but I am here to say that you can. One person’s passion leads to dedication which leads to persistence which leads to change, slowly but surely. Education is the tool that students need to save the world and to follow their dreams, no matter how wild and crazy they may be. Teaching a student how to read and write and spell is all great, but it is how you teach them that matters the most. I feel that it is important to inspire your students through telling of your own personal experiences. Including parents in their child’s work will give parents the opportunity to encourage their kid’s dreams. Having a strong support system at home and at school makes a child feel like they are something, someone important. The dreams of a child may seem silly to some people but they are not to be taken lightly. The leaders of our country once had a so called “silly” dream as well. Anything is possible and as teachers our job is to stress that.

After interviewing four school aged students, some may be surprised to see their answer to the question that I asked them. My question was what they wanted to do to make a difference. Shalini Chatterji’s, 11, dream is to help to end hunger in Africa. Although she said that this was a hard question to answer she still had this dream in the back of her mind. Jake Jones, 16, said that he would like to clean up reservoirs and river for freshwater use. Vance Williams, 12, said that he would like to make a difference by joining the army to help to keep America free. Most parents tell their kids to dream big. Most parents tell their kids that they can do anything that they want to do, but they do not even believe that themselves. It is important to encourage children, but it is even more important to believe in them. Teachers need to be cheerleaders for their students. Positive feedback serves as a helpful tool in cheering students on; however, negative feedback and criticism is also necessary to push them forward. Criticism teaches them about reality which prepares them for their future. The lessons that students learn while they are in school stay with them for the rest of their lives. They take them and use them to make a difference in someone else’s life. As teachers, we are not only affecting our students but also the people that our students come in contact with in the future.

There are going to be days when times are tough and they don’t feel like they are going to be able to handle what life throws at them, but they can do it because of the lessons that you have instilled in them. You never know they may be teaching you some lessons as well.

Many people ask me why I want to rescue animals. Many people want to know how my heart handles it. Many people tell me that I have lost my mind. The truth of the matter is that I rescue animals because they are more loyal and compassionate than any human being that I have encountered. While I was in a heated conversation with a lady who I will not name, I explained that I liked dogs better than most people. She thought that was the craziest thing she had ever heard. But seriously, is it really that ridiculous of a comment? I think not. My dogs never leave me, they are always there when all of my human counterparts have walked away. The reason that I put up with the things that I do and kill myself to rescue the animals that I can is because of the never-ending love dogs give to their owners even if their circumstances are not favorable. Some people choose to join the fight against cancer, some against abortion. I respect the things that they do and, in return, I expect to be respected. You do not have to agree with me on animal issues or even care, but do not attack my beliefs on the issue. My first rescue dog was Nala, a lab mix. Someone dumped her when she was a puppy like trash. I took her in, got her vetted, and she has been with me ever since. The joy of knowing that you saved another living breathing creature was amazing. A couple of years and a ring later, my fiance and I decided to go to our local shelter and adopt a dog. We came home with a little black lab mix puppy. She was probably the cutest thing ever! We took her to the vet only to find out she was very ill. The vets never made a diagnosis even after numerous tests. A year and hundreds of dollars later, she is as healthy as she can be. On the day that I walked into that shelter and saw all of the faces filled with utter despair, I knew I had to do something...anything. From that day on I had nightmares thinking of the broken hearts in each of the runs. What was their story? How did they end up there? What did they do to deserve the fate they were given? I could not go back in that shelter for almost a year. When I went back I was prepared. I decided that I wasn't going to sit there and feel sorry for myself. I was going to make a difference. So, here we are. I take in dogs that have been abused and neglected and nurture them back to health. It is amazing to see what a little time can do. When the dogs first come here, many have never had a bath or been inside. They are scared out of their wits. After some TLC they are the best dogs anyone can ask for. Adopting a rescue animal is the best decision anyone out there will ever make. They know that you saved them and they want to repay you with their love everyday. Some humans don't deserve a dog! If we really look at the big picture, we need to follow in the footsteps of the canine and learn to be more loyal, humble, and loving like man's best friend.